| Avanti (West Coast) to be nationalised, March 2027 Posted by grahame at 05:01, 28th September 2026 |     |
From The BBC
Avanti West Coast train services will be nationalised from March next year, the government has announced.
"For years, we've heard stories of Avanti underperforming, with passengers left paying the price. Enough is enough," Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
The move is part of a government plan to improve rail infrastructure, cut train delays and improve experiences for passengers.
Avanti West Coast's managing director said he was "proud of what we've achieved over the last six years". The company's contract was due to come to an end on 7 March.
In a post on social media, Prime Minister Andy Burnham echoed Alexander's comments.
"For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti's cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again," he said.
Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast, said: "We're proud of what we've achieved over the last six years – from refurbishing our Pendolino fleet and introducing our new Evero trains to running more services than ever before."
"For years, we've heard stories of Avanti underperforming, with passengers left paying the price. Enough is enough," Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
The move is part of a government plan to improve rail infrastructure, cut train delays and improve experiences for passengers.
Avanti West Coast's managing director said he was "proud of what we've achieved over the last six years". The company's contract was due to come to an end on 7 March.
In a post on social media, Prime Minister Andy Burnham echoed Alexander's comments.
"For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti's cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again," he said.
Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast, said: "We're proud of what we've achieved over the last six years – from refurbishing our Pendolino fleet and introducing our new Evero trains to running more services than ever before."
No great surprise there - it's only been a question of "when?".
| Re: Avanti (West Coast) to be nationalised, March 2027 Posted by bradshaw at 08:22, 28th September 2026 | |
This is from the Guardian in May (scroll down the page) - expected nationalisation to be in early 2027, so this announcement is really for the Labour Conference. Another sound bite reiterated.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/18/avanti-west-coast-to-cut-one-in-seven-trains-on-its-busiest-intercity-routes
